Right Realism Flashcards
What has been a rise in particularly street crimes?
Concerns about the fear of crime and its effect on victims and local communities.
According to Right Realism, what are the two main factors that contribute to crime?
Biological and social factors.
What biological traits may predispose individuals to crime?
- Heightened aggression
- Low intelligence
Who argues that inadequate socialization is a key reason for crime?
Murray
What does Murray suggest is undermining the nuclear family?
The welfare state.
How does the welfare state create a dependency culture?
It encourages people to rely on the state as a way of life.
What is the significance of single-parent families (SPFs) in the context of crime?
They often lack a male role model and discipline figure.
What does Rational Choice Theory assume about individuals?
Individuals are rational beings with free will.
What is the basis of the decision to commit a crime according to Rational Choice Theory?
A rational calculation of the consequences and rewards.
What does Clarke’s theory suggest about the crime rate?
The crime rate is high because the costs are low.
What three elements must be present for crime to occur according to Felson’s Routine Activity Theory?
- Motivated offender
- Suitable target
- Absence of a capable guardian
What is the primary aim of Zero Tolerance Policing?
To control the streets so law-abiding citizens feel safe.
How do Marxists critique Zero Tolerance Policing?
They argue it focuses more on low-level petty street crime.
True or False: Right Realist explanations for crime are contradictory.
True
Fill in the blank: The crime rate is high because the costs of committing crime are _____
low
What does the term ‘underclass’ refer to in the context of crime?
People who fail to socialise their children into shared norms and values.
What is the main argument of Wilson and Kelling’s Broken Windows theory?
We must keep neighbourhoods orderly to prevent crime from taking hold
any sign of deterioration must be dealt with immediately to send a message that deviance will not be tolerated.
What types of behaviors does the Broken Windows approach target?
Low level crime or deviance such as
* drug taking
* drunk and disorderly behaviour
* prostitution
* vandalism
ensure individuals see that they cannot ‘get away’ with such behaviors.
What is the intended outcome of implementing the Broken Windows approach in a community?
To cause individuals to reduce their criminal activity and deviant behaviour
What was the impact of the Broken Windows approach in New York City during the late 1980s to early 1990s?
Successfully reduced the crime rate of low level and professional crime
This indicates the effectiveness of the approach in a major urban area.
According to labelling theorists, who gets targeted by the police for anti-social crimes? (Ao3)
Individuals based on stereotypical assumptions about who commits these crimes e.g. young black males are stopped and searched 7x more than white males.
What do right realists argue is the cause of crime?
Poor socialisation in families -
too much support from the government leads to a lack of desire to work and create wealth.
Fill in the blank: According to right realists, the sense of _______ and lack of ‘good values’ causes members of the underclass to commit crime.
entitlement
